I should warn you: Every time I run into a Black man on the street who is dressed in western gear, I will end up as a drawing on 8-Rock.com. I think it also has something to do with my pleasure in seeing an African American man with the audacity to walk around the city dressed in an outfit that is strongly associated with country western music and culture, neither of which is perceived as particularly friendly to Black people. Unfair as it may be, the association of country western music and it’s fans with somewhat more racially conservative values and beliefs is fairly widespread, particularly among that majority of African Americans who live in the American south.
I have to admit that when I see a brother strutting around the streets in western gear, I’m a bit disconcerted, at first. But that uncertainty quickly turns to respect for his refusal to observe those unspoken rules of which styles belong to whom.
So, this drawing is salute to the brothers in cowboy hats, bolo ties, and wild western boots. A tip of the Stetson to every last one of you.
Everything about this guy seemed oversized–his jacket, his shirt, the big knot on his tie, and even his glasses. If it wasn’t for the glasses, and if the suit was white instead of dark brown, he might look like he was dressed in David Byrne’s big suit, from the movie Stop Making Sense.
This gentleman was entering the Fruitvale Branch of the Oakland Public Library just as I was entering. I liked his placid expression and calm focus. You see a lot people at the library with that same expression on their faces. It’s the look of absolute contentment that you can only find on the face of a bibliophile who is surrounding by the things he loves the best.
I was watching the last two episodes of a zombie-themed tv series, it was just a couple of days after halloween, and I had seen the move Paranormal Activity 3 just a week before. Is there any wonder that this drawing has a hint of the horror flick about it?
If you been following the news at all during the last couple weeks, then I’m sure you’re aware that Occupy Oakland staged a massive one-day strike last week. The man in this drawing represents one of the many strike participants who was interviewed by the local newsmedia. While the strikers included a critical mass of hippies, hipsters, and hip-hop activists, television coverage did a good job of showing that strike participants were made up of a much broader cross-section than these three constituencies represent, including a critical mass of elders, moms, tradesmen and women, educators, and clergy. To the right of my drawing are historic images of other African Americans who took a stand for rights, dignity, and progress–for their people and for the nation.
At Zocalo cafe I see a lot of parents with their kids. Most of them are moms with their infants and toddlers, but I also see a critical mass of dads with their very young children. Somewhat less often do I see parents with grade schoolers, middle schoolers, and teens. So, when I saw this dad with his tween-aged son, I had to do a drawing of them together. I took a lot of artistic license with the sign. No, I don’t actually own a cafe; but if I did, it would probably be a lot like Zocalo.
A lot of the Black folks in Oakland are from one of three southern states–Arkansas, Texas, or Louisiana. While I was waiting in line at Zocalo, I chatted briefly with the man in this picture. The topic of conversation was the quality of beverages and service at this, one of our favorite cafes. “My people are from New Orleans,” he explained, “so we know our coffee; and this place has real good coffee.” When I think about the Cafe Du Monde and the masses of people who gather there every day to partake in coffee and beignets, I can certainly understand that the population of New Orleans just might have some insights on this subject that the rest of us simply do not. So, today’s post is dedicated to the Zocalo coffee expert and his majestic city on the river.
I was feeling more monochrome than usual today, hence the multiple shades of orange. I took another one of the shoppers I saw at the Union Square Macy’s and created a backdrop consisting of a vintage television and the suggestion of an empty room–or perhaps the empty corner of a room. That the colors suggest the black and orange shades of the season is only a happy coincidence.
Every time I go to the men’s Macy’s in San Francisco’s Union Square, I see some incredibly stylish shoppers. This man in this picture was sporting a lovely cashmere sweater and the most awe-inspiring sideburns I’ve seen in a long time. His sideburns were accentuated by the fact that he had no other facial hair except for a modestly-sized beard at the bottom of his chin. The sideburns were the perfect complement to his extra high and rectangular Afro. I’ve never seen anyone with quite the same coif as the man in this drawing, which it exactly what makes his style so very awesome!
